The 9 Best CRM for Small Business in 2024

Are you struggling to keep track of leads, manage contacts, and streamline your sales process?

The right CRM for small businesses can transform how you handle these tasks, making your operations smoother and more efficient.

In this blog, I’ll compare the top 9 best small business CRMs in 2024. Drawing from my experience and industry peers’ insights, this comparison will help you boost customer retention and improve ROI.

In case you are new to the topic, here is a video that will help you understand the benefits of CRM-

Which Is the Best CRM for Small Business?

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick look at my top three picks:

Option 1: BIGContacts

An easy-to-use & affordable CRM that enhances contact management, email marketing, workflow automation, and pipeline tracking.

Option 2: Agile CRM

Ideal for small businesses needing a CRM tool that integrates sales, marketing, and customer service in one platform.

Option 3: Nimble

Perfect for small businesses seeking a social CRM that combines contact management with social media insights.

List of Top 9 Best CRM for Small Businesses

To compile this list, I evaluated each tool based on its ease of use and scalability, ensuring they cater to various small business CRM needs. My assessment is based on personal experiences, insights from trusted reviews, and feedback from industry peers.

1. BIGContacts – Best for contact management & email marketing for small & medium businesses

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I find BIGContacts to be one of the best small business CRM and contact management software. It offers a Forever Free plan that’s perfect for budget-conscious businesses. Personalized onboarding support ensures that even small businesses with limited resources can get started quickly and effectively.

The sales pipeline management feature helps visualize all the stages of the sales process. Tracking lead stages and segmenting leads is also easy, making marketing efforts more targeted.

The webform connection helps capture leads directly from your website. The customizable dashboard lets you see exactly what you need, and managing lists and user roles is extremely easy.

I also like the detailed analytics and reports, which provide detailed insights into sales performance. Custom fields help tailor the CRM to specific needs, making data entry more relevant and useful.

What You’ll Like:

• Segmentation of contacts into static and dynamic lists for more targeted communication
• 360-degree contact profiles with emails, notes, tasks, files, transactions, etc., all in one place
• Automated drip email campaigns that adapt to the contact’s stage in the sales cycle
• Calendar management features for tracking appointments and better team collaboration
• Visual reports and analytics with dashboards, charts, and graphs to monitor sales performance and ROI

What You May Not Like:

• Constant internet connectivity is required for optimal performance
• Frequent updates are helpful but can make it challenging for new users to learn the features

Pricing:

• Forever free plan for startups with 100 contacts.
• Paid starts at $9.99/user/month.

2. Pepper Cloud – Best for Sales & Marketing Automation

Image Source: Pepper Cloud

I found Pepper Cloud to be an all-in-one sales CRM software built for small businesses. It unifies features like in-built web forms for lead capture and management, sales and marketing automation tools, sales pipeline management, deal management, and a wide range of integrations in one intuitive interface.

I was particularly impressed with its effective WhatsApp CRM capabilities, including multi-device access, AI chatbots, and sales and marketing automation.

Besides this, I found the omnichannel capabilities to be quite helpful. The ability to integrate with various messaging channels, email inboxes, accounting software, and voice and video calling platforms provided a centralized hub for all my business communications.

Whether you work in real estate, finance, manufacturing, or event management, CRMs adapt well to diverse industries.

What You’ll Like:

• Omnichannel connectivity with messaging platforms, email inboxes, and business tools
• Comprehensive workflow automation for sales and marketing, freeing up time to focus on strategic objectives
• WhatsApp CRM capabilities, including AI chatbots and automation
• Real-time marketing campaign insights and analytics are accessible directly from the CRM dashboard

What You May Not Like:

• Lacks email templates for quick email generation
• Launching email campaigns requires logging in to various marketing tools

Pricing:

• Custom pricing.

3. Monday.com CRM – Flexible and visual CRM for project management and collaboration

Image source: monday.com CRM

I found Monday CRM a great tool for visual tracking and managing my tasks. It’s a cloud CRM for small businesses that provides a clear overview of the entire workflow.

What I liked most was how it organized everything visually, from tasks to timelines. The drag-and-drop interface made it easy to customize boards and track progress visually.

For example, I used the automated follow-up feature, which saved me a lot of time. In my experience, the intuitive interface allowed me to tailor the CRM to fit my specific needs seamlessly.

Moreover, the real-time collaboration tools kept my team on the same page, making communication and task management much more efficient.

What You’ll Like:

• Seamless integration with popular tools like Slack and Zoom
• Ability to create different boards to keep various campaign sectors separate
• Ability to choose from different views like timeline, Kanban board, and calendar to track progress and deadlines
• Built-in automation tools make it easy to create notifications based on item changes

What You May Not Like:

• Formulas cannot be used in automation, limiting their functionality
• It does not allow time tracking without API integration

Pricing:

• Starts at $12/user/month.

Read More: Top 7 monday.com Sales CRM Alternatives

4. Agile CRM – Affordable CRM for sales, marketing, and service​

Image source: Agile CRM

I found Agile CRM to be a versatile tool that integrates sales, marketing, and support seamlessly. One feature I really appreciated was the ability to manage everything from a single platform, which streamlined my workflow and saved me a lot of time.

The drag-and-drop campaign builder made setting up marketing automation incredibly easy.

For sales, the built-in telephony and email tracking features were invaluable. I could make calls directly from the CRM and track all email interactions, ensuring I never missed an important communication.

The support module allowed me to manage customer tickets efficiently, with features like canned responses and a knowledge base to help resolve issues quickly.

Agile CRM’s detailed analytics and reporting tools provided valuable insights into my business performance, helping me make informed decisions. The overall user experience was intuitive, and the support team was always available to assist with any questions.

What You’ll Like:

• Project management with tasks, milestones, and collaboration tools
• Contact management with lead scoring, segmentation, and nurturing
• Gamification to increase collaboration, lead conversion, and revenue generation
• Marketing automation with web engagement, email campaigns, and social marketing
• Sales automation with power dialer, predictive dialer, call coaching, and lead source attribution

What You May Not Like:

• Email template builder is inflexible despite being simple to use
• The user interface can feel disarranged at times, making navigation a bit challenging

Pricing:

• Free plan available for up to 10 users. Paid plan starts at $14.99/month.

Read More: 9 Best Agile CRM Alternatives to Boost Your ROI

5. Less Annoying CRM – Best for Task Management

Image source: Less Annoying CRM

Less Annoying CRM tool is designed specifically for small businesses because of its effective task management capabilities.

One feature that stood out to me was the easy-to-use task management system. I could set reminders, create to-do lists, and manage my schedule all in one place. This made it simple to stay on top of tasks and never miss a deadline.

The ability to add notes and track customer interactions in real time also made a huge difference in keeping everything organized.

It offers a centralized place to store all customer information, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks. What I appreciated most was the seamless integration with email, which allowed me to track all my communications effortlessly.

What You’ll Like:

• It offers calendar notifications via SMS, ensuring you never miss an important task or meeting
• Fast and responsive with an effective user interface
• Ability to integrate with Gmail calendar, MS Outlook, and phone contacts
• Allows unlimited customization of client profile fields, including useful onboarding checklists

What You May Not Like:

• Does not offer templates for importing contacts
• Offers limited enterprise integration options

Pricing:

• Starts at $15/user/month.

Read More: Best Less Annoying CRM Alternatives in 2024

6. Zendesk Sell – Integrates CRM with existing Zendesk support

Image source: Zendesk Sell

In my experience, Zendesk Sell is one of the easiest CRMs for small businesses. Its design helped me simplify the way I handle leads and manage deals.

I used this feature to track all my sales activities in one place, which saved me a lot of time. The mobile app was quite helpful for staying updated on the go. I appreciated how the automated email sequences helped me stay in touch with potential clients effortlessly.

The real-time reporting and analytics gave me a clear view of my sales pipeline, making it the ideal CRM for small business needs.

With all your sales and support data in one place, you can build stronger relationships. However, it can be more expensive and complex to manage.

What You’ll Like:

• Integration with apps like Mailchimp, PandaDoc, Google Drive, Microsoft 365, and more of easy workflow automation
• Drag-and-drop custom analytics dashboards to create personalized reports and make data-driven decisions
• An integrated dialer for seamless calling to track phone communications directly within the CRM
• Quick onboarding process and easy data import allow for a smooth transition and minimal downtime

What You May Not Like:

• Customer support can be slow at times
• The Client Space section needs improvement as it’s not user-friendly and lacks visual appeal

Pricing:

• Starts at $55/user/month.

7. Breakcold – Best for Social Selling

Image source: Breakcold

I was looking for a CRM for small companies that could help me manage my B2B contacts.

I came across Breakcold, a social selling CRM that integrates with LinkedIn, Twitter, and email. I decided to try it, and I was impressed by its features and ease of use.

One of the features I appreciated the most was the automated lead generation. Breakcold can identify and pull in potential leads from social media, saving me countless hours of manual searching.

Another standout feature is the content scheduling tool. I could plan and schedule my social media posts, ensuring consistent engagement with my audience. The analytics provided insights into which posts were performing well and which ones needed tweaking, helping me refine my strategy.

What You’ll Like:

• Facilitates the tracking and reaction to prospects’ social media posts for personalized engagement
• You can capture and assign leads from multiple sources like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram
• The main Feed dashboard allows you to conveniently DM and email from multiple accounts
• Breakcold’s Chrome extension makes it easy and fast to add leads to the CRM with the right details

What You May Not Like:

• No email footer, import, or email sync options
• Limited native integrations are available

Pricing:

• Starts at $29/user/month.

8. Nimble – Best for social media integration and contact management

Image source: Nimble

Nimble is great for prospect marketing and outreach. It automatically pulls in contact information from various sources, including social media profiles and email interactions, which makes keeping track of prospects incredibly easy.

What I liked most was the detailed contact profiles. Each profile includes social media updates, email conversations, and even shared interests, which helped me personalize my outreach efforts effectively.

The prospecting tool is effective. I could quickly segment my contacts into lists based on specific criteria and then use these lists to launch targeted email campaigns.

What You’ll Like:

• Comes with the ‘Smart Contacts’ application, which makes adding contacts from the web to Nimble extremely simple
• Useful contact capture tools like the email signature scanner for Gmail and Nimble Prospector
• Integration with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 for seamless updates
• Automatic enrichment of contact database from emails and social media

What You May Not Like:

• Automation tools are missing in some key CRM areas, like deal tracking and contact management.
• Occasional syncing issues with third-party apps

Pricing:

• Starts at $49/month.

Read More: Nimble CRM Alternatives: 9 Best Tools

9. Kylas Sales CRM – Best for Deal Management

Image source: Kylas Sales CRM

I found Kylas Sales CRM to be an excellent tool for managing deals. One of the standout features is the intuitive deal pipeline, which clearly represents where each deal stands. This made it easy for me to prioritize my efforts and focus on the deals that needed the most attention.

What I liked most was the customizable stages in the pipeline. I could tailor the stages to fit my specific sales process, which made tracking progress much more straightforward. The real-time notifications and reminders ensured that I never missed a follow-up or important task.

Plus, the integration with email and calendar tools helped me manage all my communications and appointments from within the CRM.

The reporting and analytics tools provided valuable insights into my sales performance, helping me make data-driven decisions to improve my strategies.

What You’ll Like:

• WhatsApp integration for seamless communication and better customer relationship management
• Quotation management that streamlines order processing by eliminating manual errors
• Automated emails and SMS notifications improve overall communication
• Highly responsive customer support that promptly addresses and resolves issues

What You May Not Like:

• Basic reporting features might not be enough for advanced analytics needs
• Difficulty in importing and exporting data

Pricing:

• Free plan available. Paid plan starts at $156.9/month.

Evaluation Criteria

The evaluation of products or tools chosen for this article follows an unbiased, systematic approach that ensures a fair, insightful, and well-rounded review. This method employs six key factors:

1. User Reviews / Ratings: Direct experiences from users, including ratings and feedback from reputable sites, provide a ground-level perspective. This feedback is critical in understanding overall satisfaction and potential problems.
2. Essential Features & Functionality: The value of a product is ascertained by its core features and overall functionality. Through an in-depth exploration of these aspects, the practical usefulness and effectiveness of the tools are carefully evaluated.
3. Ease of Use: The user-friendliness of a product or service is assessed, focusing on the design, interface, and navigation. This ensures a positive experience for users of all levels of expertise.
4. Customer Support: The quality of customer support is examined, taking into account its efficiency and how well it supports users in different phases – setting up, addressing concerns, and resolving operational issues.
5. Value for Money: Value for money is evaluated by comparing the quality, performance, and features. The goal is to help the reader understand whether they would be getting their money’s worth.
6. Personal Experience / Experts’ Opinions: This part of the evaluation criteria draws insightful observations from the personal experience of the writer and the opinions of industry experts.

Choose the Right CRM for Small Business

Choosing the right CRM for your small business is crucial for managing customer relationships effectively. Start by identifying your business needs and goals. Do you need a tool for managing sales, customer support, or marketing? Next, consider ease of use. A CRM should be intuitive and require minimal training so your team can get up and running quickly.

Affordability is another key factor. Look for CRM solutions that offer flexible pricing plans, including free trials or entry-level plans that fit your budget.

Lastly, customer support and resources are vital. Choose a CRM that provides excellent customer service, onboarding assistance, and a wealth of resources like tutorials and guides. By considering these factors, you’ll find a CRM that not only meets your needs but also helps your small business thrive.

Learn More About the Best CRM for SMBs

What are CRM systems for small businesses?

CRM systems for small businesses centralize customer data, track interactions, and streamline sales process. They automate tasks, enhance communication, and improve customer service. Being user-friendly and scalable, these CRMs boost productivity, provide valuable insights, and drive growth for small businesses.

Read more: What Is CRM? [The Ultimate Guide for Businesses]

Should a small business use a CRM?

Yes, a small business should use a CRM. It helps organize customer information, streamline communications, and improve efficiency. With a CRM, you can manage leads, track sales, and enhance customer relationships, making it easier to grow your business.

How to set up a CRM for a small business?

To set up a CRM for your small business, start by choosing a user-friendly CRM that fits your needs and budget. Import your contacts, customize fields to match your workflow, and integrate it with your existing tools. Lastly, train your team to ensure everyone uses it effectively.

How to use CRM for small business?

Using CRM for your small business is simple. Start by importing your contacts, then segment them into lists. Use the CRM to track customer interactions, set reminders for follow-ups, and automate emails. Regularly review your data to improve your sales and marketing strategies. It’s all about staying organized and proactive.

What should be the cost of CRM for a small business?

The cost of a CRM for a small business should ideally range from $8 to $50 per user per month. Look for options with flexible pricing plans, including free trials or basic plans, to fit your budget while still providing essential features.

How to choose the best CRM for a small business?

To choose the best CRM for your small business, look for features like task automation to save time, contact management for organized customer data, and a sales pipeline to track deals. Ensure it’s user-friendly and fits your budget to help streamline your business processes effectively.